Elounda 📍 (Ελούντα) — formerly a small fishing town on Elounda Bay, close to the abandoned leper colony of Spinalonga Island. Now a popular tourist destination
Goudouras 📍 (Γούδουρας) — village in the southeastern coast
Ierapetra 📍 (Ιεράπετρα) — the southernmost city of Europe with some nice beaches
Kalio Chorio 📍 (Καλό Χωρίο) — a small holiday village near the beaches
Makry Gialos 📍 (Μακρύ Γιαλός) — a fishing port and a popular beach resort
Palekastro 📍 (Παλαίκαστρο) — small village, mostly untouristy, with beautiful beaches
Sitia 📍 (Σητεία) — one of the towns of Eastern Crete that has lovely beaches but not a large tourism market
Zakros 📍 (Ζάκρος) — no tourism here because the government is still excavating the Palace of Zakros
Other destinations
Chrysi 📍 (Χρυσή) (Gaidouronisi) — an uninhabited island with a nudist beach, reached by day trip boats from Ierapetra on the south coast.
Lasithi Plateau 📍 (Οροπέδιο Λασιθίου) — A large fertile plateau in the centre of Lassithi Prefecture at an altitude of 840 meters (2,760 ft). Once, as many as 10,000 white-sailed windmills operated on the plateau, but these have largely been replaced by diesel and electric irrigation pumps. Numerous old stone windmills (some ruins, some beautifully restored) still stand along the passes above the plateau.
Vai 📍 (Βάι) (Finikodassos) — A popular sandy beach surrounded by a large palm tree forest